In pictures - destruction in the Amazon

Illegal mining damages large areas of the Amazon every year (Image credit: Dan Collyns)

>> How are you linked to deforestation of the rainforest?

News in brief - Thursday 18th October

Unexpected cherry blossoms
Some of Japan's famous cherry trees have bloomed unexpectedly this month; the trees normally bloom in the spring but it is thought that recent strong typhoons may have affected the tree's hormone levels

Investigations into the UK's recycling industry 
Several firms involved in dealing with the UK's recyclable waste are being investigated for fraudulent and illegal activity; among the allegations are concerns that waste is being left to leak into rivers, waste is being shipping illegally to foreign destinations, and claims are being made for tonnes of waste that do not exist

Reforesting the Amazon 
Illegal mining has done a lot of damage to huge swathes of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil; however, a new species of hardy tree is successfully growing in abandoned mining areas and it is hoped that reforestation can help restore large areas of the rainforest 

In pictures - Fall in the US

Rich autumn colours in the USA as the leaves start to turn (Image credit: BBC)

>> Find out: why do the leaves turn these colours at this time of year?

News in brief - Wednesday 17th October

Warnings of mass extinction
Researchers have suggested that humans are doing so much damage to the planet's biodiversity that it will take around 3-5 million years for it to recover; the International Union for the Conservation of Nature predict that 99.9% of critically endangered species will be lost within the next 100 years

Anti-fracking protestors sentences reduced
Three anti-fracking protestors who had been given lengthy sentences for their protests on a fracking site have been freed; they had been given sentences of around 15-16 months but this was significantly reduced as it was deemed inappropriate in relation to their actions

Antarctic wildlife reserve
The UK government has shown its support with helping to create a giant Antarctic environmental sanctuary for wildlife; this would cover parts of the Weddell Sea and protect penguins, killer whales, leopard seals, and blue whales

In pictures - Storm Callum

A sea wall being pummelled by wind and waves from Storm Callum (Image credit: BBC)

>> What do you think the environmental, social and economic effects of this flood will be?

News in brief - Tuesday 16th October

Famine threatens in Yemen
The worst famine in 100 years is threatening the lives of around 13 million people in Yemen; the area is facing troubles following conflict and thousands of people being displaced

Wasted food
Around 900,000 uneaten meals end up in the UK's bins every day; a food waste app called 'Too good to go' is helping people to rescue meals and buy them at reduced prices

Climate change doubts?
Donald Trump has stated that he believes climate change scientists may have a political agenda in raising the issue of man-made global warming; Trump believes that temperatures may well reduce again after some time, and that he is reluctant to lose out on business and spend money looking at more environmentally forms of energy and technology 

News in brief - Friday 12th October

Fracking restarts in UK
Fracking for shale gas has been given the go ahead for the first time since 2011; campaigners had tried to block further progress but lost out in their last-minute challenge

Landslides in Uganda
Heavy rains have triggered landslides that killed around 40 people; hundreds of people have lost homes and livestock after a local river burst its banks

Longest non-stop flight
A Singapore Airlines craft has travelled 15,000km from Singapore to New York in a time of 17 hours 52 minutes; the airline has relaunched the service after a five year break when it became to expensive to run

In pictures - Hurricane Michael

Hurricane Michael brings strong winds and flooding to north-west Florida (Image: credit: Getty Images)

>> Research: find out three primary and three secondary impacts of this hurricane

News in brief - Thursday 11th October

Weather warnings ahead of Storm Callum
Storm Callum is set to bring severe gales and rain to parts of Ireland over the weekend; travel is expected to be disrupted with several Flyby flights already cancelled and trains operating under speed restrictions

Earthquakes shake South-East Asia
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the islands of Papua New Guinea in the early hours of Thursday morning and a magnitude 6.0 earthquake also shook the island of Bali; a tsunami warning was issued but has since been cancelled

Hurricane Michael causes widespread devastation
One of the strongest hurricanes to hit the USA in recent years has caused flash floods, fallen power lines and landslides; the category 4 hurricane had sustained wind speeds of 155mph and continued intensifying even when it moved inland

In pictures - cattle farming in the Amazon

Cattle farming is being blamed as a key culprit in climate change and the rise of greenhouse gases (Image credit: Greenpeace)

>> Research: how many hectares of land are estimated to be used for cattle farming in the world?

News in brief - Wednesday 10th October

Hurricane Michael heads for Florida
A category 4 hurricane has made landfall on Florida's coast causing severe flooding; some have evacuated but those who have chosen to stay have been told to stay put in their homes to avoid getting caught up in any further incidents

Flash floods in Majorca
Sudden floods on the Spanish island of Majorca have caused 10 deaths and washed vehicles away after heavy rainfall; emergency teams are now looking for people who may still be trapped in buildings or cars

Reduction of meat consumption necessary for climate change
Research in the journal 'Nature' has implied that a worldwide reduction in consumption of beef is needed to have an impact on reducing climate change; the study suggests that replacing beef with more vegetables, beans and pulses will have a positive impact on deforestation rates and water usage

In pictures - tree planting by Ecosia

Eco-friendly search engine 'Ecosia' is making a difference to nature around the world (Image credit: Ecosia)

>> Create five different headlines or captions to go along with this image

News in brief - Tuesday 9th October

Changes to fracking rules
Fracking used to be halted if it triggered minor earthquakes (below 1 on the Richter Scale); a new ruling has stated that a higher threshold (up to 2 on the Richter Scale) could be used in order to allow further explorations in new areas

Ecosia to buy ancient forest
The environmentally friendly search engine 'Ecosia' has offered to buy a stretch of the 12,000 year old Hambach forest in Germany in order to protect it from coal surface mining; the not-for-profit tech company has so far planted 40 million trees using money it has made from its search engine revenue

Robotic bees
Scientists in the Netherlands have created a bee-like drone that could carry out the same role of pollinating; this could be critical as bees are dying out due to modern farming methods and climate change

In pictures - oil sands industry in Alberta

Habitat destroyed in the search for oil tar sands in Alberta, Canada

>> Answer the 5Ws (Who, What, Why, Where, When) to help you explain what has happened here

News in brief - Monday 8th October

Climate change warnings
The IPCC's recent report has highlighted five key risk areas that face the most change due to global warming and therefore need the quickest response; these are coral reefs, the Arctic, mangroves, small scale fisheries and tourism

Carbon emissions continue
Despite efforts to reduce emissions, it appears that carbon dioxide pollution from the energy sector has grown again; experts say that this is worrying news for recent emissions goals

Habitat destruction in Australia
Australia's environmental laws appear to have loop holes that have allowed 7.5million hectares of threatened species habitat to be destroyed; it would seem that few assessments were carried out and little to no enforcement steps had been taken before destroying land

In pictures - Haiti earthquake strikes again

A 5.9 magnitude earthquake has struck Haiti killing 12 people; many residents are still living in temporary shelters from when a devastating quake struck the region in 2010

>> Create a fact file that compares the earthquakes in 2010 and 2018

News in brief - 6th/7th October

Climate change warnings
A recent report by the IPCC states that we are no longer on track to stay within a warming limit of 1.5 degrees celsius, and that a warming of around 3 degrees celsius is more likely; this would mean the end of coral reefs, and would impact on all ocean wildlife as water temperatures rise and ice melts

Tsunamis - the long term response
As the search for survivors in Indonesia begins to wind down, the question is being asked as to whether we are prepared for future tsunamis; early warning systems need to be improved and emergency services better equipped to deal with the damage and chaos

Sinking cities
More and more of the world's cities will be at risk of floods and storm surges as climate change continues to melt ice caps and create bigger storms; city planners are failing to prepare for potential sea level rise, and this is compounded by the growth of cities whose weight literally pushes the land down and lowers it to nearer sea level 

In pictures - flooding in the Mekong Delta

Aerial view of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam - an area that is experiencing increasing flooding due to climate change (Image credit: Copernicus Data)

>> Draw an annotated fieldsketch of this delta area

News in brief - Friday 5th October

Fashion and climate change
It appears that society's love of fast fashion is doing more harm to the planet than we'd realised; discarded clothing often ends up in landfill, litres and litres of water are used to grow cotton to make material, and tonnes of plastic fibres are washed into our oceans every year causing damage to wildlife

Sea level rise in Vietnam
Children in Vietnam are fearing sea level rise and the damage that flooding would do to their homes and villages; flooding is an annual occurrence in the Mekong Delta but is becoming even more frequent due to climate change

China bans plastic waste imports
The US used to export the majority of its plastic waste to China, but a new ban on plastic importing has meant that thousands of tonnes of waste now has to be sent elsewhere; in a controversial move, plastic is now being sent to poorer countries such as Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam who are struggling to deal with the increased volume of rubbish 

In pictures - deforestation in the Amazon

Deforestation is at the heart of discussions around reducing greenhouse emissions and keeping to climate change targets (Image credit: Greenpeace)

>> List as many reasons as you can for why deforestation is happening around the world.

News in brief - Thursday 4th October

Appeal to help tsunami survivors

The DEC (Disasters Emergency Committee) has today launched an appeal across all forms of media to raise money and awareness for the survivors of the tsunami in Indonesia; people are still suffering immensely, with aid taking a long time to reach remote places and many still living in temporary shelters and being treated in outdoor hospitals

Climate change targets

The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) are hopeful that reaching the climate change target of only 1.5 degrees celsius of warming is possible; individual actions (such as eating less meat) and the lowering cost of renewable energies are making the level of emissions more achievable

Waste fuels flights

The first commercial flight partly fuelled by waste has successfully flown from Orlando to London; the plane was fuelled with part jet engine fuel and part ethanol produced from waste gases 

In pictures - Bangkok's anti flood park

An anti-flood park in Bangkok could be the answer to the city's flooding problems (Image credit: Landprocess)

>> Research: where is Bangkok and why is it flooding?

News in brief - Wednesday 3rd October

A ban on fishing in the Arctic
A new agreement to be signed in Greenland will ban fishing in much of the Arctic's waters; this new agreement is thought to be necessary as climate change is melting large volumes of ice which is opening up potential for new fishing grounds

Waiting for help
The victims of Indonesia's tsunami are still waiting for help in some remote parts of Sulawesi; collapsed bridges and broken communications are thought to be the main culprits in preventing aid from getting through

Closing Thailand's famous beach
Maya Bay in Thailand is to be closed indefinitely to allow it to recover from the damage caused by the 5,000 tourists who visit daily; the area was made famous by the film 'The Beach', but the beauty of the area has since been lost as tourists bring litter and rubbish and 80% of the coral has now been destroyed

Focus: the BBC investigates the problem of plastic in our oceans

For full programme, visit www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0bmbn47/drowning-in-plastic; available 'til 30th Oct 2018

A discarded plastic bottle sits among a coral reef

The amount of plastic entering our planet’s oceans and waterways has now reached an alarming level. Every minute, our insatiable appetite for plastic causes us to consume 1 million plastic bottles, 1 million disposable plastic cups, and 2 million plastic bags, the waste of which adds up to 8 million tonnes that enters our oceans every year.  Only 11% of plastic in the world is currently recycled, and it is predicted that annual plastic production will have increased by 500% by 2050. With 2 billion people still lacking proper waste disposal facilities, it is easy to see why plastic is now becoming a huge problem in our world.

The ‘Drowning in plastic’ documentary features a visit to the flesh-footed sheerwater birds who migrate to Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea each year to lay their eggs in burrows.  These birds are known to be some of the most prolific plastic-eating animals, and scientists have been studying the impact of this behavior on the birds for some time.  What they have found is that instead of nurturing the chicks ready for life in the wild, the parents of the chicks instead fill their young’s stomachs with plastic lumps, often including items such as bottle caps and pen lids. On average, the chicks can have around 20 pieces of plastic in their stomachs, but scientists have sometimes observed up to 30 or 40 pieces in a single bird’s stomach.  The result is that the birds cannot fly or swim, and instead become stranded on the beach, inevitably resulting in death as malnutrition takes over. Further research is needed to understand why some animals eat plastic; over 200 marine species are known to eat plastic, and it is thought that many often mistake it for fish eggs or jellyfish, or are attracted to the smell of algae that grows on it.

Another crisis is occurring in Indonesia, where plastic is also a problem but on a totally different scale. The main culprits are tiny plastic sachets that hold small amounts of soap, coffee, soup etc. These are widely sold because they are a cheap and quick alternative to buying large volumes of products, and many environmentalists blame large corporations for encouraging the sale of these sachets in poorer nations without considering the environmental impact. Much of the plastic in Indonesia (and indeed around the world) enters the oceans via our rivers; historically, rivers have always been used as natural waste outlets, but this wasn’t a problem when waste was always made up of non-plastic materials. It is now clear to see, however, that in some parts of Indonesia’s Citarum River, the waterway is being choked to death by floating plastic. Around 2,000 tonnes of plastic travels down this river each day, causing plastic ‘bergs’ to pile up which become lodged in the river; these only dislodge during heavy rains at which point the volume of plastic becomes inconceivable.  Plastic stretches up the river for a mile and extends from one side of the river to the other. Local people used to make a living from fishing here, but fish stocks have reduced by 60% and now locals fish for plastic and sell it to make a living instead.  A local environmental campaigner describes how the riverbanks have become landfill sites, not through choice, but as a result of no alternatives for waste disposal from the government. 

A further problem is occurring on the coast of New England (USA) as a result of the fishing industry which uses large amounts of hard-wearing plastic rope. Time after time, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) are having to rescue marine animals that have been caught up in plastic fishing rope, often because the lines have become wrapped around their heads causing deep lacerations in their necks, resulting in a slow and painful death. It is thought that around 300,000 marine mammals and 400,000 sea birds are entangled in plastic every year. Whales are particularly vulnerable as they migrate large distances, often through fishing areas. Fishing bans have been introduced during peak migration times, but this causes controversy as local fisherman rely on fishing in the area to provide for themselves, their workers, and their families. It is reckoned that around half to two thirds of whales will have been entangled in plastic rope at some point in their lifetimes. 

Equally concerning is the damage being done to an area known as the coral triangle (around 2.3 million square miles in size) in Oceania, which is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet, providing food, homes, and breeding grounds for all kinds of tropical wildlife. Not only are rising temperatures from global warming causing coral reefs to die, but plastic is now being found hidden in amongst the coral. This plastic is shown to carry harmful pathogens (bacteria and viruses) which can transmit diseases to the coral destroying the coral tissue; this could also be a health threat to humans. 

The final visit is to the Arctic where, most alarmingly of all, micro-plastics are being found at almost every turn.  It had been thought that remote places such as the Arctic would be safe from plastic pollution, but ocean currents are carrying these tiny pieces of plastic further and further until even the distant parts of our planet are contaminated. These micro-plastics often come from sources such as micro-beads found in face washes and toothpaste, and micro-fibres from synthetic clothing which are washed into waterways. Micro-plastics are easily ingested by the tiniest organisms, and can quickly work their way up the food chain, bio-accumulating within large marine organisms such a walruses. 

The outlook, however, is not without some hope.  A number of ground-breaking technologies and inspirational individuals are beginning to work to make a difference.  Systems for filtering rubbish have been trialed and shown to work on a small scale.  The ‘Seabin’ traps litter in the water and removes it out of harms way.  ‘Mr Trash Wheel’ is a similar example that uses solar power to turn a wheel and retrieve larger volumes of plastic from harbours and ports.  Another system uses air bubbles to help float rubbish to the surface before being collected.  A young engineer is also attempting to construct a giant 600m-long floating tube with a 3m suspended curtain beneath to sweep through the world’s oceans.  This is an ambitious strategy but, if successful, would make a significant difference to removing plastic.  

Most of these strategies focus around removing plastic waste, but what about stopping plastic reaching the water in the first place?  Corporations are beginning to pledge to create more sustainable options by 2025, but some fear this is too late and that the amount of plastic entering our oceans may have doubled by then.  Natural solutions may be the answer. Changing the material we use from plastic to other materials could be an important step.  An Indonesian engineer is pioneering using seaweed to make anything from soap wrappers to fast food packaging to edible cups.  This could solve Indonesia’s problem of using vast quantities of plastic sachets every day. Another solution could lie in sea grass meadows. Planting sea grass before coral reefs could help trap plastic and to stop it reaching the coral; sea grasses are also known to have antibacterial properties, which could destroy the harmful pathogens that sit on the plastic. Sea grasses can grow all over the world and may play a very important role in protecting our marine ecosystems. 

Whatever the answer, the undeniable fact is that we are swamped with plastic, and our usage is still increasing. Plastic is one of the most durable materials on the planet.  It takes thousands of years to break down, and much of the plastic that has ever entered our oceans is still there. Do we really want a future where there are more pieces of plastic in our oceans than there are fish? 

To learn more, visit www.bbc.com/plasticsaction to find out what steps you can take to fight against plastic.

(Article content credited to the BBC).

In pictures - the polluted Citarum River, Indonesia

Pollution on the Citarum River, Indonesia

>> How can we prevent plastic from reaching so many of the world's waterways?

News in brief: Tuesday 2nd October

Indonesian quake victims desperately need help
Looting and stealing has become worse in some parts of Indonesia as help is taking so long to get to the victims of the earthquake and tsunami; it was announced today that the death toll has risen further to nearly 1,350

World's biggest battery
South Australia is home to the world's biggest lithium ion battery; it obtains its energy from a nearby wind farm, and its purpose is to stabilise energy security by topping up the power supply and preventing blackouts

Raising the spotlight on plastic waste
A BBC documentary has tried to bring to light the problem of plastic waste in our oceans and the damage it can do to wildlife; the programme also investigated some of the ingenious solutions to the plastic problem, such as planting sea grass meadows and making plastic-like materials out of seaweed

Editor's pick - are sea levels rising or falling?

Mark Miodownik (The Guardian) writes about how the melting of large ice caps will undoubtedly increase the volume of our oceans, but that the nature and behaviour of the earth's crust might just save us from the catastrophic flooding that some predict will happen; is he right, and is glacial rebound really going to save us??

>> Research: how has isostatic subsidence and isostatic rebound shaped the UK's coastline?

In pictures - tsunami wreckage

An aerial view of the wreckage left by the recent tsunami in Palu, central Sulawesi (Image credit: Reuters)

>> Can you find out how many earthquakes Indonesia has had this year?

News in brief - Monday 1st October

Indonesian quake death toll rises
At least 844 people are thought to have died since the earthquake and tsunami struck the island of Sulawesi on Friday; it is feared that the total death toll may yet rise as some remote areas have yet to be contacted

Latest climate change report findings
Top climate scientists are to meet in South Korea this week to discuss the findings of the IPCC's latest report on climate change; the discussions will focus around the need to keep warming to a minimum rise of 1.5 degrees celsius, and how best to do this without compromising quality of life and development

New transport links in the Arctic
A Danish ship has successfully travelled from Europe to Asia through the Russian Arctic in a trial run which saw the journey time cut by five days; it is thought this could become a regular route if global warming continues and a reduction in ice frees up the passage for increasing months of the year

A guide to: Hurricane Florence and Typhoon Mangkhut

Available on TES